Thursday, October 25, 2007

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 25,2007) – The Party for Bosnia (SBIH) condemns in the strongest possible terms threats of destabilisation of the political situation in Bosnia coming from Serbia's senior officials and ruling parties and comparisons being drawn between the internal structure of Bosnia and the international status of Kosovo,the SBIH Party stated.

The SBIH Party said that these positions represent a serious interference by Serbia in the internal matters of Bosnia and a dangerous undermining of the sovereignty and international-legal subjectivity of Bosnia.

Statements by Serbia's President Boris Tadic on the independence of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia ("the RS") are identical to statements that we used to hear from Serbian war criminal Slobodan Milosevic, which U.S. State Department officials have also confirmed on Monday.

“Furthermore, attacks coming from the party of Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica against the measures taken by the Office of the International Community's high Representative in Bosnia (OHR), which are merely aimed at implementing the articles of the Bosnian Constitution, are in fact aimed at undermining the stability of Bosnia. With these statements Serbia's officials are proving that Serbia has never abandoned pretensions towards Bosnia and that it still supports and additionally fuels nationalistic spirits in Bosnia with the aim of achieving its own objectives”, the SBIH Party said.

The SBIH Party also stated that Serbia's officials need to understand that Serbian war criminal Slobodan Milosevic’s methods are a thing of the past, that Serbia will not be allowed to hinder the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, nor to hold back the development of Bosnia into a modern, functional, democratic state and its road towards Euro-Atlantic integrations.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 25,2007) - Croatia started building a coastal bridge in the southern Adriatic yesterday despite protests from neighboring Bosnia, which has threatened to launch a lawsuit to stop it.

The Peljesac bridge is meant to link the southern Croatian city of Dubrovnik with the rest of Croatia and bypass a small sliver of the coast that belongs to Bosnia.

Croatia controls most of the eastern side of the Adriatic but drivers on its scenic coastal road face two customs and border controls while passing through Bosnia's 12-km (7 miles) stretch of territory.

Bosnia wanted to determine the sea border of the two former Yugoslav republics before the bridge project started.

"Bosnia is not opposed to Croatia's sovereign right to link parts of its territory but this cannot be done in a way that violates Bosnia's rights and interests," said a statement from a member of the Bosnian Presidency, Haris Silajdzic, issued in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo yesterday.

"The Bosnian Foreign Affairs Ministry has informed the Croatian Embassy in Bosnia that Bosnia keeps the right to launch a suit before an international court or arbitration body," Silajdzic stated.

All members of the Bosnian Presidency disapprove of the bridge. The Bosnian Presidency Chairman Zeljko Komsic, said "serious talks about borders between Bosnia and Croatia and the Peljesac bridge should start only after (Croatia's) elections".

"Croatia has respected Bosnia's right to have access to their waters...and we are building the bridge on Croatian territory," the Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said.

But,the Croatian President Stjepan Mesic urged the Croatian Government to rethink.

"The worst and the most costly thing would be to start building and then stop, because of a legal dispute. That's what I am afraid of," Mesic said.

SREBRENICA, Bosnia (October 25,2007) – The UN has failed all tests in the eyes of Bosnians because it supported the mass murder of Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica and in 12 years following that crime it has not once admitted its massive mistake and complicity to genocide, the “Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves” Association stated.

In a statement issued on the occasion of the UN anniversary, this Association stated that the United Nations betrayed the Bosnians of Srebrenica in 1995 and that it is directly responsible for the horrific death of up to 10.000 Bosnian civilians from Srebrenica.

The mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa claim stated the UN has with their behaviour taken the side of the genocidal Serbian aggressor, and its every action was aimed against the Bosnians from Srebrenica.

The dignity and value of every human individual, which are mentioned in the UN Charter, did not exist for UN soldiers in Srebrenica, this Association stated and added that they are seeking their basic rights in a lawsuit filed against the United Nations.

If this lawsuit is resolved in their favour, it will still not wipe the blood of Bosnians from Srebrenica from the UN flag, the Association stated.

ROME, Italy (October 25,2007) - The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic visited the Santa Maria d’Ara-Coeli Church in which the Bosnian Queen Katarina Kotromanic is buried.This has been the first visit of a Bosnian President to the grave of Bosnian Queen in Rome.

Franciscans expressed pleasure over the visit of President Komsic which, as they stated, gave a special dimension to the issue of Bosnian statesmanship, from the Middle Ages until today.

President Komsic said that Franciscans have remained true friends of Bosnia. He emphasized an outstanding engagement of the Bosnian Franciscans.He also informed the friars on the importance of the Base Agreement between Bosnia and the Vatican.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 25,2007) – 47th International Theatre Festival (MESS) opened last night at the Bosnian National Theatre in Sarajevo.

Dino Mustafic, Director of the Festival, stated that the audience opened the festival; not an actor, not a writer, but audience.

Mustafic added that MESS is for many a part of their youth and an important fact in biography and that is why the festival must never be a subject of any political influences.

Having said this, Mustafic called the audience to open the international theatre festival with the most valuable gift for the actors, directors and other theatre workers – applause.

19 plays will be performed at the Festival, 3 concerts, 3 exhibitions, 3 workshops. About 500 guests are expected at the festival.

The Festival opened with “Orestia”, directed by the German Berlin Theatre’s director Mihael Talhajmer.Theatre critics from Germany have stated that the play is a masterpiece.

Over 100 journalists and photo reporters from Bosnia, region and Western Europe have been registered and will report from the Festival. Over 30 famous theatre critics from all over Europe will be guests to the Festival. They will participate at the daily roundtable sessions aimed to affirm the theatre critic.

19 plays will be performed at 8 different locations in nine days and the newest theatre trends will be offered to the audience.

NEW YORK, USA (October 25,2007) – Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric had a meeting in New York with the UN General Assembly Speaker Srdjan Kerim and informed him on the current situation in Bosnia.

Spiric said that many good reforms have been implemented in Bosnia.But, they have not been promoted enough. He emphasized that the Bosnian economy is making headway and that all these are statements passed in Washington by the World Bank and the IMF representatives.

Spiric expressed disappointment with Bosnia’s failure to initial the Stabilisation And Association Agreemnt (SAA) with the EU, for, as he said, that would have created the necessary quantum of positive energy Bosnia needs.

Spiric emphasized that dialogue between Bosnia's political leaders and International Community is a necessity.

Mr. Kerim agreed with Spiric that the SAA is the most important document for Bosnia after the Dayton Agreement and expressed full support to the country’s Euro-Atlantic integrations.

He also emphasized the importance of strengthening the Bosnian state institutions.

WASHINGTON, USA (October 25,2007) – World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials supported the request of Transparency International (TI) for authorities in Bosnia to immediately present to the public agreements on the privatisation of the energy sector and to immediately end the practice of direct deals.

Transparency International Bosnian Board of Directors Chairman and member of the TI Global Board of Directors Boris Divjak took part in the Annual Assembly of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The central meeting was held in the building of the International Financial Corporation (IFC) with a group of World Bank and IMF energy experts. They analysed the situation in Bosnia following the intransparent privatisation of the refineries in Bosanski Brod on Modrica, the coal power plants in Gacko and Ugljevik and the ongoing tender for the privatisation of Aluminij from Mostar.

WB and IMF officials, together with representatives of several other influential international non-governmental organisations, supported the request of the Transparency International for the entire documentation on the sale of the major companies and the privatisation process of Aluminij to be presented to the public.

“IMF, in its platform concerning all its member states, including Bosnia, insists on clarity in public availability of agreements the governments make with private entities, especially when they concern natural resources. The agreements have to be made public, and current and future fiscal obligations need to be transparent and included in all mid-term development plans,” IMF officials said citing their policy of fiscal transparency.

The lack of relevant information was discussed at the meeting organised by the WB’s Information Centre.

Divjak said that it is difficult to grasp that the authorities can be so insensitive as to hide from their citizens the details concerning the sale of state property, i.e. the property of its citizens, especially in the cases of largest companies in the country.

If the authorities continue to reject the disclosure of these agreements, Transparency International will request the Bosnian prosecutor’s offices and other institutions in the country to intervene on founded suspicion that what is taking place is international economic crime of staggering proportions in the form of money laundering and without real intentions to revive production and restart strategic companies.

Divjak will meet with Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Chair Peter Eigen in Denpasar, Indonesia”, late this week when they will discuss ways in which EITI can assist Transparency International in Bosnia in committing the Bosnian authorities to responsible and transparent behaviour.